Knox College is excited to offer a series of civic engagement events throughout the fall to support students as they participate in the election process. 

The goal of these events, according to Vice President for Student Development MarQuita Barker, is to provide students with nonpartisan resources and education on the voting process, while also creating a space for civil dialogue. 

“There are two main goals of the fall 2024 civic engagement events—educate students about the voting process and support them as they engage in civic leadership,” Barker added. “This is why we have a mixture of academic events and events that assist students as they vote and prepare for the election.”

The events will range from National Voter Registration Day tabling and helping local and out-of-state students navigate the registration process, to election watch parties and debriefs. Students will also be offered transportation assistance, with shuttles taking them to the Etz Family Institute for Civic Leadership and Dialogue’s inaugural event at the Orpheum on October 16, as well as polling stations on Election Day. 

Director of Civic Engagement Teresa Nelson explained that the College designed these events to be inclusive of all students, including international students. She emphasized the importance of helping international students understand how U.S. elections can impact them. 

“In this election process, our goal is to help educate the students on the topics, the process, and the candidates so they can be engaged and make informed decisions. We want them to be able to have civil discussions leading up to and after the election,” Nelson said.

Students will also be provided with a designated debrief space in the HOPE Center the night following the election, where discussions can be held in private or in groups. Barker says while this space is designed for students, they are more than welcome to invite staff and faculty members to join.

Knox College’s fall civic engagement events include:

• September 17: National Voter Registration Day tabling, Seymour Union and Galesburg Public Library, 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
• September 19: Constitution Day Lecture: The Un(Written) Constitution, Red Room, Seymour Library, 4:30 p.m.
• October 16: Learning to Disagree Across the Culture Wars sponsored by the Etz Family Institute for Civic Leadership and Dialogue, Orpheum Theatre, 7:30 p.m.
• November 5: Escorts to Galesburg Polling Stations, all-day
• November 5: Election Watch Party, Taylor Lounge, Seymour Union, 7:00 p.m.
• November 6: Election Debrief, HOPE Center, 7:00 p.m.

These events are open to all students. More information can be found on our Election Day event resource page.